


if one only remembered to turn on the light

by yespetnarry



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling, One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Gryffindor, Gryffindor Harry, Hogwarts Sixth Year, M/M, Niall Horan & Louis Tomlinson Friendship, Slytherin, Slytherin Niall, one direction harry potter crossover, one direction x harry potter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-19
Updated: 2017-07-17
Packaged: 2018-11-02 15:08:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10947048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yespetnarry/pseuds/yespetnarry
Summary: Niall James Malfoy, son of Draco Malfoy and Astoria Greengrass-Malfoy and younger brother of Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy. Placed in Slytherin House when arrived at Hogwarts, and is currently in his sixth year.Harry Edward Weasley, son of Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger-Weasley and younger brother of Rose and Hugo Weasley. Placed in Gryffindor House when arrived at Hogwarts, and is in his sixth year.-------(2026 - 2027 school year)Family Trees:POTTER-WEASLEY- James Sirius Potter (21) [Graduated]- Albus Severus Potter (19) [Graduated]- Lily Luna Potter (16) [6th year]GRANGER-WEASLEY- Hugo Weasley (21) [Graduated]- Rose Weasley (19) [Graduated]- Harry Edward Weasley (16) [6th year]MALFOY-GREENGRASS- Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy (19) [Graduated]- Niall James Malfoy (16) [6th year]-------disclaimer: some characters are based off of the characters written and created by J.K. Rowling in 1-7 of Harry Potter AND Cursed Child, however characters may not be similar/have the same traits or personality of her characters.





	1. Chapter 1

Maybe it was because of the way he looked at Harry in the Great Hall during meal times or the way he would help Harry from across the room when he just couldn't get a spell quite right. Or maybe it was because of the fact that he almost always never stopped his friends from messing with Harry that made him find Niall James Malfoy the most endearing and mysterious person in the world. Sometimes Harry felt that Niall liked him, but at other times he felt the complete opposite. Like the day that Harry, who is just as clumsy as his father, dropped a large glob of slug juice in herbology without realizing and slipped onto the cold cement floor, shattering his elbow and Niall and his best mate Louis laughed their arses off for a solid ten minutes.

Reading Niall was the hardest thing Harry had ever attempted to do. He couldn't understand, no matter how hard he tried, the boy who didn't seem to belong in Slytherin, but rather in Harry's arms. He never knew if he was just so in love with Malfoy that he was turning any non-mean thing that he did into proof that he liked Harry too.

Harry knew it was wrong to feel this way towards someone, especially towards someone whose father bullied and berated his parents and their best friend, whom he was named after.

However, no matter how hard Harry tried to hate Niall, he couldn't tear himself away. Some of his favorite things to do were to watch Niall play for the Slytherin Quidditch team, but obviously cheer for the Gryffindor team to win, and watch him concentrate on mixing the ingredients for his potions properly in class.

What else could Harry do, but watch Niall from a distance? What else could he do but keep his love for him a secret? He couldn't tell his best friend, who just so happened to be his Uncle Harry's daughter and his cousin, Lily Luna Potter. She most definitely had heard stories about Niall's father, and she's definitely seen the way he acts towards Harry.

Harry could almost hear her voice in his ear saying, "Him? How can you like him? After everything his father did? And even how he treats you? Remember that time.." And then she would rant and scold him for _at least_ a half hour. For a Potter, she was almost annoyingly like his mother.

Although, Harry had a feeling she knew. She had caught him staring at the blond from across the room, blushing when their eyes met. She'd caught him daydreaming a few times (okay, all the time), and she would scold him often. However, Harry never wanted to come outright and say it, mainly because that would mean he would have to admit to himself that he really did like (love?) Niall, but also because she would know the truth and couldn't just speculate anymore.

So who could he talk to about his gnawing and painful love he felt for the son of Draco Malfoy? No one at all.

Sometimes, though, when he was overflowing with thoughts and emotions, he'd go up to the owlery and sit with his owl, a barn owl he called Nymoli, and vent to her. He'd let everything flow out of him like a dam that had just broken and the water was rushing through. He'd talk until his throat hurt or he ran out of things to say or when he heard someone coming up the stairs (the last one happened more often than the others).

His feelings for Niall were complicated. Sometimes he hated him for being the biggest prick in the world, but other times he'd love him for being the best looking Slytherin in Hogwarts. (Harry always picked out the people he thought were best looking in each house. Gryffindor was a tall dark haired sixth year named Lionel Hedgewalker, who played for the Gryffindor quidditch team. Hufflepuff was Oliver Whitby, who was a somewhat popular boy in the Hufflepuff house, even though he didn't do much. Ravenclaw was Poppy Pendle, a tall, perfect skinned girl, who was almost _too_ nice. Lily often wanted to sneak some bad skin potion into her morning pumpkin juice.)

As much as Harry tried to feel this way towards other wizards, other students, his mind always drifted back to the blond Slytherin who would never feel the same towards a _Weasley._

"Hey!" Lily said, snapping Harry back into reality where he had dribbled orange juice down the front of his robes. "Hello, Mr. Weasley. Welcome back to the real world, where people aren't day dreaming about a Slytherin."

"I wasn't.." Harry trailed off, rolling his eyes as he dabbed at his robes with a napkin.

"Wasn't what?" She said and smirked, raising an eyebrow at him. "Wasn't doing exactly what you were doing?"

"I honestly don't know what you said, but I'm gonna go. I'd rather not be late," said Harry as he stood up, confusing Lily greatly.

"Um, classes don't start for another twenty minutes. We've got time." Lily told him although his attention was elsewhere. Lily followed his gaze and turned around to look at the Slytherin table just in time to see Niall standing up. She reached out and across the table, gripped the front of Harry's robes and tugged him down into the bench across from her. "Enough."

"I wasn't going to follow him, Lily. I'm not crazy. You are for thinking I like him. Also, I was actually going out to Herbology because Professor Longbottom wanted to have a chat." Harry muttered grumpily as he smoothed down the front of his robes, not wanting to look as poor as he really was in front of Malfoy.

Harry was always embarrassed of his family's situation. He wore a lot of his older brother's old robes, and his mother would just hem them with a flick of her wand. (Thankfully, she never made him wear Rose's old clothes.)

Harry's parents did as well as they could, although it was getting better now that both Hugo and Rose were working themselves. His father always told him about how much his parents, Grandma Molly and Grandpa Arthur, struggled but that was mainly because they had seven kids to feed, clothe, and take care of.

Harry loved his family, respected his parents, but he always wished he had more money. He thought about this sometimes, thinking that maybe if he were richer, Niall might pay more attention to him, _even if he was a Gryffindor._

"Harry, do you think I don't know that you have been in love with that ignorant spoiled prat for the past six years?" Lily said, interrupting Harry from his thoughts.

"I'm sorry?" He said, looking at her with raised eyebrows. "I have no idea what you're talking about. I have to go, though. I'll see you in Potions, yeah?" Harry said, not giving her any chance to respond before he stood up and rushed out of the Hall. Although, Harry thought he heard her mutter "Well, we have Herbology first so.." but that was all he heard, as he had walked off too fast.

Harry hoped Lily hadn't wasted so much time that he missed his chance to follow Niall, or at least just see where he was going. They both had twenty minutes until their first class, so where was he heading off to? The bathroom? No, he would have used that before coming down to breakfast.

Harry stepped out of the hall and looked every way he could, and when he didn't see him he mentally cursed Lily for holding him back. Instead of searching everywhere for Niall, he decided to just head down to the greenhouse to meet with Professor Longbottom as was requested of him via a note from McGonagall.

\--

Harry was joined as the bell rang by Lily, both of them pulling on their gloves as the rest of the class came out to the greenhouse.

Professor Longbottom explained what they needed to do today, although Harry wasn't listening. He was too busy watching Niall and Louis whispering to each other while pointing at a Slytherin girl, who Harry knew as Kat Windsurd. Harry actually wasn't even sure what he was supposed to be doing and just followed what Lily told him to do. She was always better at school than he was, which he knew disappointed his mother because she did so well in school. Harry got average grades. Not good enough to do anything amazing when he graduated, but enough to probably work a respectable job.

The class seemed to end oddly sooner than usual, Harry both confused and excited to be leaving. His next class was with Slytherin, as well. However, before Harry could reach the doorway of the greenhouse, Professor Longbottom's voice called his name behind him. 

"Mr. Weasley, I would appreciate it if you joined me for a moment." He spoke. 

Harry stopped in his place, heaved out a sigh as scattered taunting "ooooh"'s filled the emptying greenhouse. A soft groan and a slight roll of his eyes, Harry looked down at Lily and muttered that he'd meet her in potions before turning around to face Professor Longbottom. "Yes, sir?" He asked as he stepped closer. 

"You seemed a bit distracted today. I see Potter helped you, but we discussed this before class, Harry. You need to pay attention more or you won't pass your exams. Ms. Potter can't help you with those. Alright? Study up. Now get to Potions."

Harry nodded and turned on his heels, rushing out of the greenhouse and up the steps into the castle, making his way through the corridors to the potions classroom. However, just before he could reach the classroom, he felt a hand wrap around his forearm and his body was roughly pulled into an opening behind a tapestry. It was dark and dirty, he could feel cobwebs wrapped around his head as he was pushed up against the wall. A small sliver of light peeked out from where the tapestry hadn't quite settled into place yet and Harry could see the smallest amount of almost white blond hair and the soft rose color of a cheek. Harry could feel Niall's breath against Harry's lips, feel the tip of Niall's nose against his. And all he could think was, _what the fuck is happening?_

Niall sighed - Harry could feel it - and then he spoke, "Hey."

Hey? _Hey?_ Harry had been dreaming of something like this for almost three years now and all Niall fucking Malfoy could say was "Hey"? 

However pissed Harry was though, he responded with a soft "hey" back. 

The tapestry had settled now and the two of them had been engulfed in darkness entirely, but it was comfortable and warm despite the hidden pathway being rather chilly and dirty. Harry's heart was beating loudly in the dark silence. He truly hoped Niall couldn't hear. 

Niall leaned in slightly closer, his lips just barely touching Harry's, whispering, "it seems like we fit, pet." before he pulled away entirely. Harry could no longer feel Niall's hand on his wrist, his breath against his lips, his hips against his. Suddenly, Harry felt the bottom of Niall's robes sweep across his legs and watched his shadow break the light as the tapestry opened and shut and Harry was suddenly left standing in the secret passage, alone and confused and suddenly very cold and slightly hard.

He stood there for a few more seconds, clinging on to the way Niall's breath felt against his skin and the way his fingers felt wrapped around his wrist in a tender grip. He wanted Niall back in the secret passage, wanted him to lean a little bit closer, wanted their lips to meet entirely. 

Harry lightly hit the back of his head against the wall with a soft groan before he shoved himself through the tapestry before he stormed off towards the potions class - now five minutes late. 

His long fingers ruffled cobwebs from his hair as he walked into the classroom, dropping into this seat beside Lily with a slight 'humph' sound leaving his lips.

"Oh, how nice of you to finally join us, Mr. Weasley. Care to explain why you were late?"

Harry's eyes darted to Niall, who was watching him with a proud smirk, before he looked back up at their professor. "Got lost on the stairs, sir. Switched around on me. Took one wrong step. You know how it goes." Harry made up a lie on the spot, his eyes shifting back to Niall after the professor - who seemed satisfied with his answer - turned his attention to the entire class. Niall held a look of a mixture of proud and impressed, and Harry couldn't help but feel a bit proud of himself. He turned to Lily as she hit his arm, raising an eyebrow at him. "Pay attention." She whispered, glaring at him. 

Potions class moved slow, Harry and Niall locking eyes about every ten minutes. Harry always seemed to look away first due to a blush and Niall always seemed to have the same proud smirk plastered across his face. "Oi, what's got you all distant today?" Harry heard Louis mutter to Niall as they walked past Harry's desk and towards the door. 

"What? Oh, it's nothing." Niall said as his eyes locked on Harry's, licking his lips as he winked.

Suddenly, the blush was back and Harry couldn't do anything but drop his eyes down to his hands.

"Harry? Maybe you should go to the nurse." Lily said, helping him with his books.

"No! No, I'm fine. I have to run. I'll meet you for lunch. I think I'm gonna skip DATDA and go to the library to study. We don't really need that class anymore anyway. No dark wizards around anymore." Harry said with a shrug before he rushed out of the classroom and back towards the tapestry with the secret passage. Very few knew about the passage, and those who did just didn't care much about it considering it was dirty and didn't lead anywhere. Harry paced in front of it a few times before sliding back into the darkness, his heart racing as he pulled out his wand and whispered, "Lumos."


	2. Chapter 2

The tip of Harry's wand (a Cypress wood with Phoenix feather core, 12 ½" in length) lit up, filling the empty corridor with an almost blue light, the cobwebs and two spiders crawling across the floor was now clear. The wall Niall had pushed Harry up against was made of a grey stone. The floor was made of some type of stone or marble – Harry marveled for a moment at the mess of footprints in the dirt and a smile crept to the corners of his mouth. Only two pairs of feet were there, which for no explanation gave Harry comfort. 

Harry smiled as he watched his feet, slowly following the footprints across the floor, taking each step carefully as if to relive the memory all over again. His back pressed against the wall and his eyes fell shut, but the light from his wand was too bright. Harry's mouth fell open ever so slightly and a soft "Nox," was sighed from his lips, the light in the tip of his wand going out like a candle in a storm. 

Harry's mind was racing, his heart was beating heavily again except he didn't know why. He was entirely alone in the hidden passage behind the tapestry. Niall had came and gone and probably wouldn't be back ever again. No, Harry was completely alone. He couldn't even tell anyone about his encounter, not that he would. This was a secret between Harry and Niall and that fact felt dangerous and exciting and only made Harry crave more of the blond. 

The sound of several pairs of feet outside the tapestry knocked Harry from his thoughts, his head turning to face the tapestry. It was too dark to really see how far away it was, although Harry’s eyes had adjusted somewhat to the darkness around him. His breathing had began to pick up ever so slightly, nervous that someone might come behind the tapestry and find him hiding here. It was nearly a minute before the foot traffic disappeared entirely, then, he let out a sigh, picked up his satchel after feeling around for it for a few seconds, threw it over his shoulder, then pushed the tapestry back. Harry slowly stuck his head out and peeked down the corridor in each direction, letting out a sigh of relief as he saw that no one was there. He quietly slipped out from behind the tapestry, slipping his wand into a pocket of his satchel. 

Harry quietly snuck his way to the library, sitting down at a table hidden behind some shelves of books at the very back of the library. He removed the strap from his shoulder and set the satchel down on the table before he dug out a few of his school books, parchment, a quill, and a bottle of ink and carefully organized it all onto the table. Harry had star charts he needed to complete for Astronomy and an essay for Care of Magical Creatures on Hippogriffs, both due the next day. 

Harry spent the entire hour, that was meant to be spent in Defense Against The Dark Arts class, in the library working on the charts and the essay. He thought DATDA was a pointless course now that his uncle had murdered Voldemort, the darkest wizard of his time. Almost all dark wizards vanished. No evil was present. No wizards were turning to dark magic. No deaths. No battles. Things were normal, so Harry hated having to show up to Defense Against The Dark Arts to learn how to defend himself against dark magic and dark wizards. There were no dark wizards. 

By the time Harry was sure the DATDA class was finished, he had finished his charts and almost half of his essay. He rolled up his parchment, capped his bottle of ink, and shoved everything into his satchel along with his books. The second Harry stood up, Lily was stood at the table with her arms folded over her chest and her eyebrow raised and Harry let out a groan. "How did you get here so fast?" He muttered as he threw the strap over his shoulder and followed Lily out of the library. 

"Class has been over for nearly five minutes. It's time for lunch." She answered, her arms still folded in a disappointed pout. Lily was strangely like Harry's mother – she would carry the same disappointed look as his mother when Harry did something wrong, would scold him over several days for the very _same_ thing over and over again, would bring it up weeks later. 

Harry nodded although he wasn't entirely paying attention to her as Niall goddamn Malfoy turned the corner and was now walking towards Harry and Lily with his best mate Louis, smacking his gum between his teeth in the way that made him look like such an asshole. Niall's face held a smirk as their eyes met, the blond winking and raising an eyebrow at Harry as they passed him while Lily was distracted by her own talking. 

Harry turned his head to follow Niall and licked his lips as his eyes fell to his ass, quickly looking back up towards his head as Niall suddenly stopped and spun around. "Oi, curls, what the fuck you starin' at?" Niall shouted from nearly ten feet down the corridor. Harry stopped in his place and turned his body around to face him, his mouth gaping like a fish out of water and his head shaking in confusion. Lily frowned and stepped in front of Harry, reaching for her wand. "Don't flatter yourself, Malfoy. Why would anyone stare at you? You aren't interesting enough to even look at for a second." She scoffed. 

Niall and Louis broke into a taunting laugh, walking closer towards Harry and Lily, a wide smirk on Niall's lips. "Oh, Lil, you really think that? I suppose you aren't as smart as everyone says, eh?" He chuckled. 

That set Lily off. She immediately went to hit Niall with some sort of stunning spell, but Louis was faster. He whipped his wand out and shouted, "Expelliarmus!" Lily's wand flew across the corridor and rolled around the corner. She quickly ran to grab it, Louis following after her. 

At the same time, as Harry went to pull his wand out to protect Lily, Niall gripped the front of his robes and pushed him against the wall. Harry's satchel slipped off his shoulder and fell to the floor, ink bottles and parchment rolling and books thudding against the floor. His back hit the wall almost too roughly for him to enjoy this moment, his eyes locking on Niall's again. Their faces were only a few inches apart and Harry could feel Niall's breath against his lips again. 

_Finally, a kiss_ , Harry thought to himself. 

"Don't," Niall paused, shoving his hand that wasn't pinning Harry to the wall into a front pocket on Harry's robes, "ever stare at me like that again." He demanded, ripping his hand from Harry's pocket and pulling away from Harry just as Louis and Lily walked back around the corner. "Let's go." Niall muttered to Louis as the two of them continued down the corridor. 

_So, no kiss?_ Harry thought to himself. 

Lily rolled her eyes as the two of them knelt down to pick up Harry's things and return them back to their place in his satchel, walking in the opposite direction of Niall and Louis. "They're such jerks." Lily mumbled as they walked down the corridors towards the Great Hall, Harry still in a sort of shock. Twice in one day Niall fucking Malfoy had pushed him up against a wall and twice in one day Niall fucking Malfoy had left him alone without even a kiss, just a sore back and a headache. 

Before he knew it, they were in the Great Hall and sat at the Gryffindor table where plates of food were all over for the students to grab and enjoy as they pleased. As Harry shifted, he heard the small crumpling sound of parchment in his pocket and felt a small poke against his hip. He couldn't recall putting anything into his pocket, but soon remembered Niall's hand. A mixture of excitement and anxiousness filled Harry to the brim, waiting until Lily was distracted by Liam Payne – a tall, muscular, brown haired and brown eyed Gryffindor that she had had a crush on since third year – before he pulled out the piece of parchment. Harry carefully unfolded it, peeking up to make sure Lily was still distracted before he began to read. 

_Harry,  
Meet me behind the tapestry. 8 o'clock. Don’t be late. -N.M. x_

Harry couldn’t fight the smile that spread across his lips, his fingers quickly tucking the note back into his pocket just in time to make it look as though he had been eating the entire time before Lily looked back in his direction with a wide smile. "Liam and I have a date for next weekend." She said excitedly. 

"Next weekend? That's our next trip to Hogsmeade. You're gonna leave me all alone in the village?" Harry teased, grinning at his cousin. He knew how long Lily had waited for this and knew how much she wanted it. 

"Shut up. Maybe you'll have a date yourself. Ask out a nice girl and take her to The Three Broomsticks for a butterbeer or Madam Puddifoot's for a bit of tea." Lily said, smiling at Harry. 

Harry cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably on the bench, shaking his head as he stood up. "Lil, I think you know I'm not going to ask out a girl. Or ask anyone out, for that matter." 

"Right." Lily said, sighing softly. "Well...It'll give you some time to catch up on your coursework." 

As the day wore on, Harry felt jittery and excited and anxious all at the same time. He didn't understand Niall. His mind raced with the endless possibilities of what could happen at 8 o'clock. It felt like it took forever for 8 o'clock to actually arrive. At 7:45 Harry slipped out of bed, slipped his uncle's invisibility cloak from his trunk (which his cousin James had given him), and threw it over his head. He tiptoed down the stairs, through the common room, and crawled through the small passage before leaving past the Fat Lady painting. 

It took Harry 10 minutes to reach the tapestry, having to avoid Peeves the Poltergeist on the fourth floor by hiding behind a statue. The castle was dark and calm and Harry could barely see where he was going. He hadn't put on his shoes or slippers, not wanting to make any noise in the corridors that would bring attention to him. 

Harry allowed himself a few extra minutes to calm his nerves before he slipped behind the tapestry and removed the cloak, blinking a few times in an attempt to let his eyes focus on something. However, it was too dark. 

Suddenly, there was a soft whisper and a light illuminating from a wand that wasn't Harry's. He was blinded by the sudden change in light for a second, his eyes finally adjusting and landing on the soft blond hair and bright blue eyes of Niall Malfoy. 

Niall smiled first and Harry returned it, both of them just standing there staring at each other for nearly a minute. 

"I'm glad you came," Niall was the first to speak, taking a step closer. 

"Why did you want me to?" Harry asked, taking a small step forwards. 

"It's obvious, innit? I got a thing for you, but I can't just go about kissin' a Gryffindor in public." 

"You want to kiss me?" 

"Obviously." 

"So do it." 

Then, it was dark again. Harry heard the small clatter of Niall's wand as it fell to the floor. He heard the small scuffle of sock covered feet making their way closer. He felt hands on his neck. He felt his back hit the wall. 

And then, lips against lips. Soft and delicate, but firm against his own. 

Niall tasted like the chocolate pie that had been served for dessert at dinner. 

Harry's hands fell to Niall's hips and pulled his body closer, Niall's fingertips of his right hand pressing deeply into Harry's neck as his other hand fell to Harry's chest. Niall's left hand was pushing Harry against the wall and his right hand was pulling his head down as they kissed and kissed and kissed. 

Harry lost himself. For once in his life there was no worry, no thought, no fear. All he had was this moment and he wanted to hold onto it as long as he could. His _first ever_ kiss. 

As quick as their lips had touched, they were apart, and Harry immediately felt desperate for more. His lips were parted just enough for the tip his tongue to fit between his teeth, his face moving closer towards Niall, who leaned his neck back and wrapped his hand loosely around Harry's neck, pushing him back against the wall. 

"God damn," Niall spoke quietly, his voice almost a needy growl. "You’re a bloody good kisser." 

"Then why'd you pull away?" Harry said as a smug smirk fell over his face even though Niall couldn't see him. 

"I wanna do more than kiss ya." Niall told Harry, the pad of his thumb tracing the shape of Harry's chin. "I wanna talk. I don't want to just fuckin' kiss you then leave." 

"You're just a tease, you know that?" Harry muttered as he grabbed Niall's wrist and pulled the blond's hand away from his neck. 

"A tease? I'm a tease because I wanna talk with you and not just fuck?" Niall snapped although he was keeping his voice a whisper, digging his wand out from his pocket and whispering "Lumos." The tip illuminated a white, almost blue, light that allowed them to finally see each other. 

Niall's lips were wet and pink and looked delicious. His eyes shone bright against the light, and Harry could feel his anger almost drifting away. 

"No, you're a tease because twice you've shoved me against a wall, moved to kiss me, then didn't. Then you finally fucking do and pull away not even thirty seconds later." He said quickly, although with each word he spoke, his tone grew softer and his voice grew quieter. 

"You're fuckin' needy." Niall said, a sly smirk now on those soft, pink lips. 

"Needy?" Harry whispered, a tone of surprise in his voice. 

"Desperate. Needy. Am I your first kiss? I've never seen someone so desperate for more." Niall said then ran the tip of his tongue over the bottom of his teeth. 

Harry couldn't fight the blush that rose to his cheeks, his heart beating faster in his chest as he shook his head. "First? Ridiculous. I've kissed loads of people. Loads!" Harry said as fast as he could. He didn't want Niall to know he hadn't ever kissed anyone before. He thought it was embarrassing and strange. 16 years old and never had a kiss? A bit odd...isn’t it? 

Niall let out a chuckle and shook his head, wrapping his hand around the back of Harry's neck. "I am your first. That's cute." He whispered and leaned forwards, slowly touching his lips to Harry's once again. 

This time, a hum left Harry's throat as he kissed him back. Harry's hand went to Niall's hip, stepping closer while simultaneously pulling him flush against his body. 

After nearly a minute, Niall pulled away again, but only his lips. He kept their faces close - their bodies close. 

Harry could feel Niall's breath against his lips, feel the tip of his nose against his own, his fingers entangled in the strands of hair at the back of his head. Harry was happy to finally have been able to kiss Niall after nearly five years, but now he was desperate for answers. "Why did you ask me here tonight?" He asked softly. 

"I'm not sure." Niall whispered, clearing his throat softly before he stepped away from Harry. "I just... Fuck...I've been... I don't know. It just sort of happened. You're really kissable. I just wanted to know what you tasted like... How you felt against my lips.." Niall trailed off, shaking his head as he leaned his back against the wall and slid to the floor with his knees folded up. "Why'd you come?" 

Harry sat down against the opposite wall with a soft groan, stretching his legs out until his feet hit the wall that Niall was sat against. "I like you." He answered. Niall looked up and Harry smiled at him, his head falling to the side ever so slightly. "Don't look so surprised, Malfoy. You're an asshole, but I like you. It's obvious, wasn't it?" 

"I suppose it was a bit. Depends on how you perceive your actions. The looks could be taken as bad or good. I guess I should've taken them as good the entire time." Niall mumbled, flicking his wand towards the ceiling. A soft ball of light flew from the tip and rose to the ceiling, brightening both of their faces. 

"My family won't like this." Harry said with a soft chuckle, his eyes shifting down to his hands. 

"You're gonna tell your parents?" Niall said, cocking an eyebrow. "You're gonna go home during the holidays and tell your parents you made out with the Malfoy kid?" 

Harry smiled, blushing as he looked back up at Malfoy. "No, why would I do that? Your dad was a bit of a dick to my parents. I don’t think you want me telling anyone anyways. We can keep us a secret." 

"'Us'?" Niall whispered, his eyebrow somehow raising even higher. 

Harry's blush deepened in color, shaking his head. "Fuck. No. We don’t have to be an 'us'. Or even a 'we'. You and I can just be whatever you want." Harry sputtered, stumbling over his words as he attempted to fix the mess he made. 

"We can be an 'us' and a 'we'. Well, over some time, obviously. Kissing twice doesn't make a couple." Niall said with a soft chuckle, carefully nudging Harry's arm with his foot. 

Harry smiled, setting his hand down on the floor between he and Niall with his palm facing upwards. Niall smiled back at him, placing his hand down into Harry's larger one. The both of them leaned their heads back against the walls, smiled at each other one last time, and fell asleep holding hands.


	3. Chapter 3

The next couple of weeks passed and Niall and Harry had nightly meetups in the hidden passage behind the tapestry, in which they would kiss for a few minutes then sit on the floor with a light floating above them as they spoke quietly. Sometimes Harry would do his school work while they talked and Niall would watch with a smirk, sometimes copying Harry's answers down for his own coursework. 

It was now the last weekend before students headed home for the holidays or were left alone to wander the nearly empty corridors of the school. 

Hogwarts at Christmas-time was one of Harry's favorite things. From Peeves the Poltergeist singing crude versions of classic Christmas carols to the twinkling lights and floating mistletoe in the corridors. Hogwarts felt different at Christmas-time. People seemed happier and nicer and the school just seemed more lively. His nights with Niall had definitely made this holiday season even better. 

Today was the last trip to Hogsmeade before the holidays, so Niall and Harry would have the school mostly to themselves. They wouldn't have to worry about being caught sneaking behind the tapestry- it was shocking to both of them that they hadn't been caught already. Truthfully, Harry had thought about what they would say if they were caught- mostly, he worried about what Niall would say to whomever caught them in the future. Were they a couple? Were they just messing around? Harry thought about it a bit too often, however, at the same time he just wanted to enjoy his time with Niall- however long that may end up being. 

As the school emptied of students, who were heading down towards Hogsmeade Village for different candies and frothing butterbeers, Harry was packing his books into his bag in the Gryffindor common room. Other than the first and second years and a few older students who felt as though the novelty of Hogsmeade had worn off, the common room was quite empty. Lily walked up to Harry, Liam waiting by the portrait hole in a large puffy coat and a red and gold scarf. "You're not coming again? It's our last trip before the holidays." Lily, who was also wrapped in a large coat, red and gold scarf and beanie, and red mittens, spoke softly. 

Harry chuckled, shaking his head as he pushed his final book into his satchel then looked up at Lily. "Lil, we wouldn't be spending time together anyways. It's your last date with Liam before the holiday break. Go have fun." He told her with a smile, throwing the strap over his shoulder. 

"Why aren't you coming to Hogsmeade, Harry? You haven't gone in weeks." She asked him promptly, a look of concern plastered onto her face. 

"I've just been trying to get my school work done before the break. I don't wanna have to be writing some paper on the history of trolls versus the history of goblins on Christmas night." Harry answered with a chuckle, shrugging his shoulders. "I'll see you later." He added as he gave her a half hug then walked towards the portrait hole, nodding at Liam as he passed. 

Harry crawled through then made his way to the library, which he knew would be empty. He made his way towards the back shelves of the library, sitting down at a table that was tucked in the back between two shelves, hidden from view. If anyone came into the library, they'd have to walk through to the very end of the library just to find it. Some days, when he wanted total privacy, he'd put up a few masking spells so no one could find him until he took them down. Today wasn't one of those days. Since the school would be empty, the only people he would be found by today was the one person he _wanted_ to be found by. 

Just as Harry had finished laying out one of his history books, his parchment, ink, and a couple different quills, the chair that was beside him slid against the floor and Harry felt a pair of warm lips against his cheek. "Hey." Harry chuckled softly as he turned his head so as to touch his lips against Malfoy's. Harry hummed as he pulled away, a smile on his face as the two met each other's gaze. 

"Hey." The blond whispered back with that sly smile, throwing his arm around the back of Harry's seat. "What are you working on?" 

"Essay for Longbottom." Harry answered softly as he turned back to the parchment, the hint of a smile still on his lips. 

"Herbology? Boring." Niall said and leaned back in his seat, throwing his legs up onto the table. "Are you goin' home for the holidays?" 

"Yeah, my mum wants me there." Harry muttered as he opened the book, fighting back a smile as he felt Niall's fingers messing with the back of Harry's robes in the most gentle way possible. 

"Mm, I might as well go home then." Niall sighed, leaning his head against the back of the chair as he stared up at the ceiling. 

Harry chuckled and fought back a blush, quickly turning his head to look at Niall. "What is that supposed to mean?" 

"I think you know what I-" Before Niall could finish, the librarian came over and shushed them loudly, her lips pinched together and squinted eyes glaring down at them for nearly a minute before turning around. Her robes flowed behind her as she seemed to almost glide across the floor, and once she was out of sight, Niall let out a mischievous laugh and Harry pulled out his wand. 

" _Muffliato_." Harry mumbled softly before placing his wand back into his bag then looking back down at his book. 

Niall cocked an eyebrow and threw his legs off the table as he leaned in closer to Harry. "What did you do?" He whispered. 

"Made it so we don't get kicked out because you're too loud." Harry answered, dipping his quill into the ink before copying a few things down onto the blank piece of parchment in front of him. 

"So...no one can hear us?" Niall whispered, his lips hesitating over Harry's ear for a moment before dipping down towards his neck – still refusing to touch. 

Harry's fingers tightened around the quill as he felt Niall's breath send goosebumps along his neck, shutting his eyes for a moment to calm himself down. "No...but they can still see us, Malfoy." Harry muttered under his breath, fighting back the smile that was stretching across his face. 

"Well," Niall paused. His arm was still draped over the back of Harry's chair and that hand was now playing more aggressively with the back of Harry's robes. "Maybe we should throw that invisibility cloak of yours over us." 

Harry was silent, frozen for a second as he pondered the thought. Being under the invisibility cloak with Niall, hidden from the world, their bodies tangled together in a tight embrace just so they can both fit under it, Harry giggling while Niall is aggressively affectionate. Then, he shook his head to bring himself back to reality and shrugged so that Niall would pull back a bit. "I've really got to get this essay done, Niall. I don't wanna be doing work over the holidays. I wanna spend that time writing to you." Harry spoke softly, turning his head so as to look Niall in the eyes. There was the hint of a smirk mixed into the smile that held a place on his lips. 

"You wanna write to me?" Niall asked, his voice almost a tone of surprise. 

"Well, yeah. I mean, I've really enjoyed our talks and I don't want whatever this is to stop because of the Christmas break. I don't want the break to mean that we take a break, you know?" Harry said, shrugging his shoulders. He didn't really notice how much he had changed until recently. He was normally very shy, but now he felt he could be more open. Around Niall, he was comfortable enough to speak his mind. Now, he no longer had to climb up the hundreds of steps of the owlery to release his thoughts and feelings to his owl. Now, he just waited until it was time to meet Niall in the hidden passage behind the tapestry and he just let it all out. 

And Niall listened. Niall loved it. Harry would always catch the hint of a smile on Niall's face when he got really into what he was talking about, and then he would just melt and find himself be unable to finish what he was saying due to the seemingly never ending blush on his cheeks. 

"Do you... not want me to write?" Harry asked suddenly, worry filling his chest as he felt his heart drop to his stomach. "Do you not want to write each other, I mean?" 

Niall chuckled, that fucking cocky smirk back on his lips as he leaned in towards Harry again. Niall's lips brushed against Harry's cheek in the lightest but neediest kiss possible before moving to hover over his ear. "Of course I want to us to write each other. I'm just going to miss seeing these lips every day." Niall murmured softly, smiling slyly as he leaned back against his seat and threw his feet back up onto the table. 

"Your dad won't ask who you're sending letters to?" Harry asked quietly, forgetting entirely about his essay for the time being. He set the quill down and shifted his position to focus his attention on Niall. 

"Eh, he's more worried about Scorpius." Niall muttered. "Don't get me wrong, he cares about what I do. He just barely sees Scorp since he moved out. Dad loves both of us. During the holidays he's a bit different. Christmas was sort of my mum and dad's thing. He proposed around this time of the year and they always decorated together and baked cookies... that's what Scorp says, at least. She died a few days after I was born. All I know of her is a few pictures and the stories from my dad and brother." Niall spoke so casually about it, like he was used to having to discuss why he didn't have a mother anymore. 

Harry knew Niall's mum had passed away– everyone knew. He was Niall Malfoy, and when you're a Malfoy, your family is no secret to the world. However, even though Harry knew this, it still hurt him to hear the actual words from Niall's mouth. 

"Niall.." He started, but was immediately cut off by the blond. 

"Don't give me that sympathetic, sad eyes, 'I'm so sorry that happened', blah blah. I didn't know her. I mean, yeah, it sucks and it's sad and I wish I had been able to know her, but there's nothing I can do about it. I don't want to be sad for the rest of my life over it." He said quickly, giving Harry a half smile. "Now, finish your essay so you can spend all break writing me letters." 

Harry couldn’t help but chuckle at that, but not in a "that's funny" way. It was more of a "you're really fucking cute and I am entirely too fond of you" way. 

As the hours passed, Harry worked on his essay while Niall sat beside him watching and talking about whatever popped into his head. Harry finished his essay just before students began arriving back to the school from Hogsmeade, peeking out of the small window beside the table to see them walking up the path to the front entrance of the school. With a heavy sigh, he turned to Niall, who had already put his feet back on the floor and was stretching out his arms. "Gonna leave me now?" Harry asked with an almost crestfallen smile. 

"Harry," Niall started, licking his lips as he brought himself to his feet. "Don't look at me like that. It's not that I don't want to be seen with you... It's just... I don't want to... If we start hanging out in public, it gets hard, you know? We'd have to explain and we haven't _that_ talk yet. I'm just enjoying what he have too much right now, alright? I'll see you after the break, okay?" 

Harry nodded as he rose to his feet, rolling up the parchment and carefully placing everything back into his satchel. "No, I get it. Don’t worry about it. I feel the same. I'll see you after the holidays. Happy Christmas, Malfoy." He muttered as he threw the strap of his satchel over his shoulder and moved to walk away. 

"Weasley." Niall said in a stern tone, wrapping his hand around Harry's forearm and spinning him around. Niall smiled down at him, pulling Harry's body against his before leaning him against one of the bookshelves. "You're cute when you're mad." 

Harry scoffed and smiled at Niall, shaking his head as he set a hand on the back of Niall's neck. "Happy Christmas." He repeated, leaning forwards and slowly kissing Niall's lips. Both of them smiled into the kiss, holding each other close. One of Niall's hands was on Harry's hip and the other was flat against the bookshelf as he pushed Harry further against the it. Harry's index and middle fingers were in Niall's hair, his thumb pressed tenderly against his jawline. He was almost entirely focused on kissing Niall, however, he was also listening to make sure no one was getting near. 

Niall was the one to pull away, Harry suddenly the one desperate and needy for more as he leaned in closer again, trying to catch Niall's lips for one more kiss. Niall couldn’t help but chuckle, moving his hand from the bookshelf to Harry's cheek. "Always needy, you are." He whispered, a smirk playing on his lips as he brushed the pad of his thumb over Harry's cheekbone. 

Harry was at a loss for words, attempting to calm his breathing as he looked into Niall's eyes. They were normally a vibrant blue with splatters of green, however, right now, after their kiss, they were a stormy blue- almost gray and Harry completely melted under them. 

Niall smirked then smiled, tracing the shape of Harry's bottom lip with his thumb. "I'm gonna miss ya." He whispered and leaned forwards, pressing one more kiss to Harry's lips just before they heard the loud laughs of Louis and a few other Slytherins from the hallway. "Don't forget to write." 

\-- 

On Monday, two days later, everyone was headed to or getting ready to go down to the train. Harry had just finished packing his bag when Liam came over with a smile on his face, his arms folded over his chest, which just made his shoulders look more broad than usual. "So, can we chat for a sec?" He asked as he sat down on the edge of his own bed that was beside Harry's. 

Harry knew Liam, they got along alright, he actually enjoyed his company. Liam was always nice to Harry and Harry did consider him a friend, although they weren't very close. Liam was more on the popular side- chaser on the quidditch team, handsome, smart, kind, brave, and possibly everything good anyone could ask for – the perfect Gryffindor. "Sure, what uh... What about?" Harry asked softly, pushing a hand through his hair as he shifted on the bed. 

Liam was silent for a moment, clearing his throat before he spoke, "I just feel it's best to tell you now, alright? Just don't be worried or whatever, okay?" Liam was speaking softly and slowly and that made Harry strangely nervous. He had a nervousness he couldn't quite explain. Then, just as Harry was about to ask what he was talking about, Liam spoke again, "I uh...I know." He paused, and Harry was suddenly very confused. 

_What could he know?_ Harry thought. 

"I know about you and Malfoy." Liam finally explained, running his tongue over his lips. 

Harry couldn't breathe. He felt like his chest was collapsing into his body. He wanted to shrink down and hide – disappear. How could he possibly know? 

Harry's mouth fell open as he began stuttering over his words, the start of "how" and "what" somehow escaping in the jumble. 

"Relax," Liam chuckled and stood up before sitting down beside Harry on his bed. "Don't worry, okay? You clearly want it a secret and I'm not going to pry. I promise I won't tell anyone – not even Lily." 

Harry nodded and let out a sigh, dropping his face into his hands as he felt himself able to breathe again. "How do you... How do you know?" He whispered softly, lifting his head to look Liam in the eye. 

"I saw you slipping behind the tapestry and then a few seconds later saw Malfoy slip behind it. It was only a few days ago. Harry, I don't want you to worry, alright? As far as I know, you both just could have been taking a shortcut to class. Whatever it was, makes no difference to me, your secret is safe." Liam explained softly, placing his hand on Harry's back. 

Harry nodded again, clearing his throat as Liam stood up. "Thanks for not telling anyone." Harry said softly, giving Liam a half smile. "Especially Lily." 

\-- 

The entire train ride home, Harry was anxious and uncomfortable. He was sat with Lily and Liam in a compartment. He was forced to watch them be cuddled up together and share kisses between each other, and all he could think of was Niall god-damn Malfoy. 

Silently, he wished he could be disgustingly affectionate in public like Lily and Liam. 

Harry was forced to sit on the train, knowing Niall was only a few compartments away (probably joking around with Louis and a few other Slytherins). Even though he was sat with Lily and Liam, he felt alone, and that was probably because they were almost completely oblivious of him being there. So he sat there, quietly reading a book while thinking of the blond. He thought of what he would write to Niall in his first letter and if he would be able to steal some of his mother's homemade sugar cookies to send to him, and he wondered if Niall would like them and what he would say back in his letter. 

Harry couldn't get Niall out of his head the entire ride. 

And he couldn't help but wonder if Niall was thinking of him too.


	4. Chapter 4

As the train slowed to a stop at Platform 9 ¾, Harry was shaken awake by Lily. He let out a soft groan as he rubbed the back of his neck, which was now sore due to the odd angle he had been sleeping at. "We're here," Lily spoke as soon as Harry's eyes had opened. He nodded and pushed himself up so he was sitting properly, looking out the window just in time to see his parents and his aunt and uncle waiting for them with wide, excited smiles. 

While he gathered his things, he gave them a wave and a smile, throwing the strap of his bag over his shoulder. Just as he was about to turn around to leave the compartment, his eyes spotted blond hair shining a bright white under the sun – Draco Malfoy. He was stood far away from everyone else and focused entirely on the door of the train that was closest to him, his dark jacket buttoned up all the way and a Slytherin scarf wrapped tightly around his neck. He had a look on his face that was a mixture of sadness and bitterness. Every time Harry had seen Draco, he always had a sort of cold look on his face. 

"Harry," He heard Liam speak then felt his hand on his wrist, snapping him out of his thoughts as he turned to look Liam in the eye. Liam looked out the window and in the direction of where Harry had previously been looking, a sigh leaving his lips. "Let's go. Lily's waiting." He finished with a soft smile, guiding Harry out of the compartment and down the train towards the exit. 

The moment Harry's feet touched the ground, his mother engulfed him in a tight hug and kissed his head. "There you are. I was worried you had missed the train." Hermione said into his hair, kissing his head once more before letting him go. 

"Mum, you just looked at me through the window." Harry muttered under his breath, a half smile on his face as his dad set his hand on his shoulder. 

Harry gave his dad a smile then looked back in the direction of where he had seen Draco waiting, chewing on the inside of his lower lip as he searched the crowd for Niall. Had he not gotten on the train? Finally, just as Harry was going to give up, Niall hopped off the train and looked right at Harry. They smiled at each other then looked away at the same time, Harry's mum wrapping her arm around his shoulders and Draco setting his hand on the middle of Niall's back. 

After collecting his owl from the luggage car on the train, he followed his parents to their car and sat quietly in the backseat as his mother drove them home. 

As Harry arrived home with his parents, he was greeted by his older siblings in the kitchen and the smell of homemade cookies. 

"Harry!" Rose spoke excitedly, setting the knife she was using to cut vegetable down onto the counter before she ran over and engulfed him in a hug. "Ah! I missed you!" 

Harry laughed as he dropped his bag on the floor and hugged his sister back, groaning as she ruffled his hair. "I missed you too, Rosey." He chuckled as they separated, smiling at his brother Hugo as he came over and gave Harry a hug. It had been a while since he had seen his siblings. They had moved out of the house – Hugo at 19 and Rose at 18 – so Harry was glad to be seeing his siblings. He was close with them before they had moved out, and missed them since they had left. 

"Did your hair get curlier?" Hugo teased with a grin as he ruffled Harry's hair just like Rose had only moments before. Harry being the youngest child always was treated as the baby, by both his parents and his siblings. Sometimes it was quite annoying, but mostly he didn't mind it. 

"Shut it." Harry told Hugo as he wrestled his brother's hand away from his head then picked his bag up off the floor. "I'm gonna go unpack and relax in bed for a bit." Harry announced to the room before heading up the stairs and into his bedroom. 

Harry's room was an average sized room with hardwood floors and walls that were painted a sort of pale gray color, but it could only be seen in a few spots. Mostly, Harry's walls were covered in Gryffindor banners and flags, posters of his favorite quidditch team (Chudley Cannons, just like his dad) and players, framed photos of his family (including his aunt and uncle and cousins), and even a few random newspaper clippings from The Daily Prophet that he found interesting. Harry's room was just how he'd left it, the dark red duvet left in a jumbled pile on the twin sized bed, one pillow where his head would go and the other on the floor. He had a few stray clothes on the floor that had missed the hamper when he tossed them and a pair of shoes left out, one by the dark wooden wardrobe and the other in the corner by his closet door. The only thing that was ever left perfectly organized was Harry's desk. 

With fresh parchment in one drawer, quills in another, and ink bottles organized in order of color on the top of the desk, Harry's desk was by far the most organized thing in his room. It was the only thing he properly cared to keep organized, not that he didn't care about the rest of his room. He kept his wardrobe and closet fairly organized, a few misplaced items here or there. However, his desk was something he never could leave a mess. 

After Harry unpacked his things, he laid down on his bed and looked up at the bare ceiling, which was the only wall that was entirely bare. He had always wanted to hang something up there, though. He had just never gotten around to it. 

Only a few moments later, Harry was falling asleep, thinking only of Niall and what he would write to him the next day. 

\-- 

Harry was woken up from his nap a few hours later to his family calling him down dinner. With a soft groan, Harry pushed himself up and rubbed his hands over his eyes, a long yawn leaving his mouth he glanced around the room. At the window there was a barn owl with a letter in its beak, tapping at the window. Its body and face were entirely white, while its wings and the top of its head were a mixture of tan and gray. 

"I'll be down in a minute!" Harry yelled as his mother called his name once again. He quickly got to his feet and rushed to the window, clicking the latch and pulling it open. Harry reached out and took the letter from her, handing her a treat as he mumbled a soft "thank you". He shut the window as soon as she had flown away, smiling down at the envelope. 

Written across the front was just _'WEASLEY'_ , but Harry recognized the handwriting immediately as Niall's. Harry couldn't believe that Niall had already written him. How often had Niall been thinking of Harry? 

Harry quickly shoved the letter under his pillow when his mother called for him again, rushing out of the bedroom and down the stairs. 

"What took you so long?" Hugo asked, smacking Harry's shoulder as Harry sat down at the table. 

"I was finishing a chapter in one of my textbooks." Harry said as he rolled his eyes, shrugging Hugo's hand off of him before he began scooping peas and carrots onto his plate. 

\-- 

After dinner and saying goodnight to his family, Harry headed right to his room. He changed into a pair of flannel pajamas before he grabbed the letter from the desk, shut off the light, and sat down on his bed. Quickly, he grabbed his wand from the nightstand and pulled the sheet over his head, whispering, "Lumos." The tip of his wand radiated a soft blue light, and Harry could see the _'WEASLEY'_ again. 

Technically Harry wasn't allowed to use magic outside of Hogwarts, but since he lived in a magic household, he was able to get away with it because it was more difficult for the Ministry to track who was casting the spells. 

Harry quietly opened the envelope with his fingertips after setting his wand down beside him. As he pulled the letter out, a polaroid fell out of the envelope onto the bed face down. Harry quickly set the letter down and picked up the photograph, a wide smile spreading across his lips. Niall was stood in a garden, behind tall purple plants that were blowing in the breeze. His soft hair was moving with that same gentle breeze and his lips would go from a smile to a straight face and back again over and over. (Photographs and paintings in the wizarding world had always moved and some even talked). On the edge of the photograph, Niall had written 'Me behind a plant' and for some stupid reason, that made Harry chuckle in the most fond way possible. 

After setting the photograph down, he opened the letter, taking a deep breath as he began to silently read. 

_Dear Harry,_   
_I just got home and I already would prefer to be back at school, because at least at school I can look at you. At school I can talk to you, kiss you, be around you... I miss you. I hope you miss me, otherwise this letter might seem clingy.. I think you're turning me into a softy. I don't like being a softy._

_Anyways, my dad is being quiet and ignoring me like every year. In a weird way, it's comforting that he hasn't changed. He's been entirely focused on Scorpius since we got home, so I've just been in my room all day... Besides the five minutes I was outside to take the picture in the garden. Did you like it? I thought you might miss me. (Don't worry. I got my house-elf to take it)_

_Hope to hear back from you soon._   
_Niall xx_

Harry's smile was larger than usual as he read over the letter, rereading it three more times before he folded it back up and slid it back into the envelope. Harry picked up the picture and smiled down at Niall's face, pushing the sheet off his head. He placed the photograph under his pillow and the envelope in the draw of his night table, falling asleep to the thought of sitting in the garden at Malfoy Manor with Niall and the purple plants and the gentle breeze.


End file.
